I learned recently there is a Psalm 151. Apparently it is in the Eastern Orthodox Bible, but not in the Catholic/Protestant Bibles.
Is there any historical context why this did not make it into those Bibles?
Are there other Psalms that did not make it into the Bibles? I'd love to read those if they exist.
EDIT: Thank you everyone for the great knowledge and insight. It is great to share what we learn.
For my example I will use pre-marital sex. Assume, for the sake of this post, that a couple engages in pre-marital sex does so in a loving, commited relationship.
Some have an opinion pre-marital sex is wrong, or the Bible says it is wrong, or religious tradition says it is wrong, or culture say it is wrong.
Yet Christians (and others) get so passionate about pushing this construct as "wrong"...and I do not understand.
Someone else having pre-marital sex has zero impact on you. As far as I know, pre-marital sex is not a contributing factor to any sort of moral nor societal decline. What two people do in the privacy of their home is not our business. Yet, we want to push them to believe it is wrong.
Is it a sin? I will not judge because I engaged in it.
Will I go to Hell because of that specific sin? Probably not because I have committed far worse sins than pre-marital sex.
This same logic, right or wrong, could apply to many hot button topics of the day.
So, why be so passionate about something that has no direct impact on you?
It is known that the number of priests in the US has been on a decades decline. This results in parishes closing, consolidation, over-worked priests, and delayed retirement.
The reasons for that aside, what steps is the church taking to increase the number of priests in the US?
What ideas do you have the Church should implement to encourage people to enter seminary and join the Priesthood?
Is bringing in overseas missionary priests the right solution?
Lets assume for a moment I've been faithful all my life:
Now assume the follow parallel scenario:
Christians think that is fair!! Really?? Does not make a lot of sense to me. Does it to you?
When you are getting questions from people like me, where you try to defend your faith/Christianity, saying "I do not know" is an acceptable, humble, and honest answer.
You have to remind yourself you are not God, so you do not know what He is thinking or why He does what He does.
Since this is the case, many responses are pure speculation anyhow. And, since we get so many different opinions and perspectives on the same topic, it can be difficult to discern what is actually true.
It is not a failure on your part, it is an acknowledgement you are human with limited capacity.
For me personally, I will have more respect and understanding when someone admits they do not know.
I will be the first to admit I do not understand...so bear with me.
A common argument from Christians is that God gave humanity free will...to make their own good choices, and to make evil choices.
Christians are told that God is all-knowing. And, He has a grand Divine Plan.
So that means, God was fully aware of the evil that has happened, and will happen - even at the beginning.
And He will do nothing about it because He gave free will?
And He will do nothing about it because it is all part of His plan?
Is that correct?
If so, that is unfair.
A common argument for Christians goes something this: God can create anything, He can also destroy which He creates.
This is relation to killing societies and people who committed atrocities in the Old Testament.
Why didn't God just prevent the atrocities in the first place? Then, He would not need to kill, would He...
It makes no sense.
A relationship can be defined as a bond between two or more people. Notice the keyword: people (or person in the singilar).
You can see a person. You can touch a person. You can hear a person. The person you are having a relationship with is alive!! The other person can literally prove their existence. You say something to someone else and they respond accordingly.
Christians say "have a relationship with God" or "with Jesus".
So...why would I have a relationship with God? No one has seen Him, no one can touch Him, no one can hear Him, no one has ever proven He is alive. God is not a person!!
Why would I have a relationship with Jesus? Assuming he was an actual person, why would I have a relationship with someone who has been dead for 2,000 years??
Am I wrong in my thought process?
I need a confidante who can help me, who meets these criteria:
- male (i am male btw)
- over age of 50
- non-judgemental (this is an absolute must)
- who will listen (this too is an absolute must)
- Christian (preferred, but not required)
- who has capacity, within limits of course, to help
- based in the United States (but recognize I am a minimum ofv12 hours ahead of you)
I have no one I can rely on at the moment, but I need help ... please.
Im going through a rough time - I do not have the support system I need.
On flat earth model, the center point is called the North Pole, right?
Why not rename it to Center Pole, or Middle Pole, or Central Axis...something that makes more sense?
Genesis 1:1 states that God created the Earth. Our home is a place of tremendous beauty, wonder, intricacies, and hope. God gave to us.
Do you believe that God created Earth for us, as a gift for us to enough?
If yes, why our home is filled with:
- beaches full of trash
- rivers / lakes once crystal clear are no longer
- air that is polluted where many have difficulty breathing
- destructions of critical habitats
- people who throw their trash anywhere
- people who abuse animals "just for fun"
- throwing electronics into the trash
- wasting huge amounts of food
This is about the deliberate actions of humans, including Christians, that contribute to the slow destruction of the planet.
I wonder how God feels about this? If we are true Christians, ought we not care for and treasure the gift that God gave us?
I recently learned it is a sin to leave the Catholic Church...perhaps I knew this, but forgot. I am aware that not going to Mass is a sin, marriage to non-Catholics is not possible, etc. However, this one intrigues me.
I have a number if questions and genuinely seek to understand, not challenge any status quo...it is an educational moment for me (and perhaps others).
EDIT: I did post to r/AskAPriest...they removed it and said to post here.
Assume a person is leaving the Catholic Church is going to a different denimination (Baptist, Lutheran, etc.), is still a believer and follower of Christ. They remain a Christian; however, they are told this is a sin.
1. Is it s grave sin or mortal sin?
2. Aren't we all Children of God, regardless of our religious Christian affiliation?
3. Related to that, how does the Church view indifferentism?
4. They follow same God, same Jesus, same Bible, same path to Heaven through Jesus. What is different?
5. They are Baptized in the Trinity. Again, what is different?
6. Does apostasy truly count? They are not abandoning their Christian faith, but rather moving denominations.
7. Is it still a sin, despite the Catholic Church teaching we must follow our informed conscience?
8. What paragraph(s) in the CCC can I read more on this specific sin?
9. Assuming this is based on Biblical Theology, what Bible verses are there where I can read about this specific sin?
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On these posts, we often say "Read the Bible" or "Read your Bible" or "Read Gods Word" or "It is in the Bible". It is a natural response, but i think it is somewhat short-sighted.
We fail to tell people HOW to read the Bible. This failure is one of the reasons, amongst others, that we get incorrect interpretations. People read into a verse what they want - process known as eisegesis. Instead, we need to learn what to get out of it - known as exegesis.
A professor of mine always said "Context is King,". This means we must learn to understand what the author meant when he wrote the book, not what we want it to mean.
So, as we read our Bibles we must learn about the author who wrote the book, the historical context, social issues, political climate, and who the audience was. For example, knowing why Paul wrote two letters to the Corinthians, or why James book is filled with great wisdom, goes a long way to preventing misinterpretation.
That being said, how do you read the Bible to ensure you are reading and interpretting it correctly?
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On these posts, we often say "Read the Bible" or "Read your Bible" or "Read Gods Word" or "It is in the Bible". It is a natural response, but i think it is somewhat short-sighted.
We fail to tell people HOW to read the Bible. This failure is one of the reasons, amongst others, that we get incorrect interpretations. People read into a verse what they want - process known as eisegesis. Instead, we need to learn what to get out of it - known as exegesis.
A professor of mine always said "Context is King,". This means we must learn to understand what the author meant when he wrote the book, not what we want it to mean.
So, as we read our Bibles we must learn about the author who wrote the book, the historical context, social issues, political climate, and who the audience was. For example, knowing why Paul wrote two letters to the Corinthians, or why James book is filled with great wisdom, goes a long way to preventing misinterpretation.
That being said, how do you read the Bible to ensure you are reading and interpretting it correctly?
I’m curious to hear from people working in secular, corporate roles.
How do you practically apply your faith_Biblical Principles when faced with corporate culture, competition, or bottom-line-driven decisions?
Are there specific verses or stories in the Bible that help you navigate your professional life without compromising your beliefs?
For the first time in my entire life, I have absolutely nothing. Not because I gave it away, not because I personally chose to be poor. Being poor has been forced upon me by circumstances beyond my control.
I once had a great job. Artificial Intelligence, global outsourcing, and reduction in force put me out of work. Nearly 1,000 applications yielded 2 interviews...which lead to nowhere.
I once had a family. My 8 year old son died of a severe illness, my wife of 10 years died shortly after due to brain aneurysm and a failed brain surgery. She suffered from high BP, but I think the anguish of losing her only son was too much.
I once had hobbies. I had to sell everything to pay the medical bills. I was an avid cyclist, amateur photographer, and avid reader.
I once had a home. It was foreclosed as I coukd no longer pay the mortgage - because paying medical bills was priority.
I once had a Church. I reached out to my Church for a bit of financial support; my request was rejected ... twice. 20 years of tithes/offerings apparently was not enough. They wanted my money when they were in need, but in reverse I am not worthy to receive anything.
I once believed in prayer. Daily prayer did not yield a job, nor money, nor a home, nor my wife/son being returned to me.
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You can say that prayer works. You can give me verses that provides encouragement. You can say God loves me. You can say He has a plan for me. You can say I should have hope and faith. You can be sorry it happened. You can feel sadness or pity. You can say it will get better.
Prayer, love, plans, hope, faith, pity: none of that gives me food, money, job, or a home.
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I was there when God needed me. I volunteered at my Church. I led men's Bible Study. I donated to food shelves. I supported orphanages in Kenya and Philippines. I prayed for those who needed prayer.
So, where was God when I need Him?
I am not 100% sure, one way or another, if they exist or not.
But Christians seem really, really, really bothered. If they do exist, it totally invalidates their faith??
Apparently they already have "explanations" such as "angels"?
A post was removed on r/Catholicism regarding potential release of UFO files. There was great, and civil, dialog. I actually enjoyed reading.
From what I learned, Catholics are freaking out that an ET might exist in the universe. And, the think Earth is "the only" planet that has life. If there is more "earths" and ET, it will literally blow their theories of Christianity out of the water.
What else is the Catholic Church afraid of? Some Catholics there literally scared out if their minds.
I am not a conspiracy theorist, so none of that in your responses, please.
I am aware of people who take thd Bible literally...that, is things happened as they are written. Yet, physics tells us that some things just cannot happen exactly as written. What arguments do literalists use to justify their rationale?
Examples include:
The sun and moon standing still in the sky for a full day (Joshua 10:12–13).
A human being surviving inside the stomach of a great fish for three days (Jonah 1:17).
The parting of the Red Sea to create dry land with walls of water on both sides (Exodus 14:21–22).
A woman turning into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26).
The localizedl suspension of buoyancy allowing a person to walk on liquid water (Matthew 14:25).
Iron axe heads floating on the surface of a river (2 Kings 6:5–7).
The instantaneous change of water into wine (John 2:1–11).
The sun’s shadow moving backward ten degrees on a sundial (2 Kings 20:9–11).
A bush burning with fire but not being consumed by the flames (Exodus 3:2).
The biological resurrection of a body after four days of decomposition (John 11:39–44).